Heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger, designed in particular for vehicles with an internal combustion engine, consisting of an insulated container connected to a cooling circuit of the vehicle, where inside of the container a heat storage unit (HSU) filled with phase-change material (PCM) is arranged. The heat storage unit (HSU) consists of a system of adjacently arranged aluminium extruded profiles, whose ends, provided with end caps to allow their filling with a phase transition material, are anchored in the face walls of the container, wherein the aluminium extruded profile, provided with at least one inner fin, has the shape of a square, rectangle, circular arc, or other known shape.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit of Czech Republic Patent Application Serial No. CZ 2013-278 filed on Apr. 11, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a heat exchanger, designed in particular for vehicles with an internal combustion engine and including an insulated container connected into a cooling circuit of the vehicle, inside of which a heat storage unit (HSU) filled with a phase-change material (PCM) is arranged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, EP 0 111 487 discloses a heat exchanger comprising a container connected into the cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine, in which container a heat storage unit (HSU) filled with phase-change material (PCM) is arranged.

The purpose of such a heat exchanger is to utilize the heat produced during operation of an internal combustion engine, and accumulated in the phase-change material, which phase-change material may be for example sodium bicarbonate phosphate, for heating of the cooling liquid, the engine, or the transmission oils prior to the next (cold) start-up of such internal combustion engine.

A disadvantage of this technical solution is particularly its complexity and the manufacturing demands in producing such heat storage unit (HSU) consisting of interconnected pipes with fins, which HSU is formed so as to most optimally fill the inner space of the typically circular or the circular-like container of the heat exchanger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above disadvantages are overcome by a heat exchanger, designed in particular for vehicles with an internal combustion engine, consisting of an insulated container connected into a cooling circuit of the vehicle, where inside of the container a heat storage unit (HSU) filled with a phase-change material (PCM) is arranged, where according to the present invention the heat exchanger is characterized in that the heat storage unit (HSU) consists of a system of adjacently arranged aluminium extruded profiles, whose ends, provided with end caps to allow their filling with a phase-change material, are anchored in the face walls of the container, wherein the aluminium extruded profile, provided with at least one inner fin, has the shape of a square, rectangle, circular arc, or other known shape.

It is to regard as substantial for this construction also that the container is provided with insulation in the form of a vacuum.

Advantages of the heat exchanger according to this invention are especially: the simplicity of its design; inexpensive manufacturing technology of the aluminium extruded profiles having high thermal conductivity, which conductivity allows rapid transfer of heat from the phase-change material (PCM) into the coolant medium or vice versa; and the need of only a single tool for the production of the required profile, from which the desired shape of the heat storage unit (HSU) is formed subsequently. Due to limited number of individual components and a simple manufacturing process, this design then ensures also a low failure rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a side elevational view of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional elevational view of the heat exchanger taken along line A-A of FIG. 1A and showing a rectangular shape thereof;

FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional elevational view of the heat exchanger taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A and showing a circular cross-sectional shape thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. In respect of the methods disclosed, the steps presented are exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps is not necessary or critical.

As it is seen in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, the heat exchanger consists of a container 1 having a rectangle or a circular shape in cross-section, which container 1 is provided with connection sockets 6. However, it is also possible to manufacture the container 1 as having any other known shape in cross-section. It depends on customer requirements. Inside the container 1, a heat storage unit (HSU) filled with a phase-change material (PCM) 4 is arranged. The heat storage unit (HSU) is formed by a system of aluminium extrusion profiles 2 arranged side by side with gaps 7, which have in one case (FIG. 1) a rectangular (or square) cross-section shape, and in the second case (FIG. 2) they have an annular segment cross-section shape. Each aluminium extruded profile 2 has a number of fins 3 and its ends are fitted with closing and sealing end caps (not shown) through which it is possible to fill the individual profiles 2 with a phase-change material 4 (e.g. sodium bicarbonate phosphate).

The ends of individual profiles 2 are anchored (not shown) by any known method in face walls 5 of the container 1. One of the possible and simple ways is for example the one in which the ends of profiles 2 are tightly fastened in with regard to shape matching openings formed in the face walls 5 of the container 1. In particular, this arrangement provides adequate space for the expected thermal expansion of profiles 2, which expansion is different from that of the container 1. The very accurate definition of the position of the profiles 2 and thus, also of the cooling gaps 7 then allows even cooling of the entire circumference of the profiles 2 with a minimal pressure drop on the cooling side.

Then, the used fins 3, together with the material formation of the profiles 2, increase the heat transfer, and therefore, also the charging (discharging) rate of the heat storage unit (HSU).

In the embodiment shown, the container 1 is then provided in a known way with external insulation (not shown) in the form of a vacuum.

Upon connecting of the container 1 by the connection sockets 6 to the cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine, the aluminium profile 2 will so transfer thermal energy from the cooling liquid into the phase-change material (PCM) 4 placed in the HSU when the engine is warmed up and during the next about 12 hours recover it back into the cooling liquid after a cold start of the engine. As a consequence, after a cold start, the internal combustion engine is warmed up to the operating temperature faster, whereby the friction, the fuel consumption, as well as the CO₂ emissions are reduced. When using an electric pump in the cooling circuit of the vehicle, warming up of the engine before its actual start-up will also be possible.

The container 1 can be included also within the circuit for circulating of the transmission or engine oils, for the purpose of their rapid heating up, and thereby, for reducing the frictional power loss of the engine.

From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS USED

1 Container

2 Profile

3 Fin

4 Phase-change material

5 Face wall

6 Connection socket

7 Gap 

What is claimed is:
 1. A heat exchanger for a vehicle, the heat exchanger comprising: an insulated container in communication with a cooling circuit of the vehicle, the container including a face wall on each end thereof and a heat storage unit filled with a phase-change material (PCM), wherein the heat storage unit further comprises: a system of adjacently arranged extruded profiles, each of the profiles configured to be anchored to the face walls of the container, wherein the profiles include at least one fin.
 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the container is provided with insulation.
 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the insulation is provided in the form of a vacuum.
 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the profiles have opposing ends, the ends including end caps to facilitate filling the container with the phase-change material.
 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the container has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.
 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the container has a circular cross-sectional shape.
 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the container includes a pair of connection sockets.
 8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the connection sockets are configured for connection with the cooling circuit of the vehicle.
 9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein gaps are formed between the profiles.
 10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material is sodium bicarbonate phosphate.
 11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the profiles are formed from aluminium.
 12. A heat exchanger for a vehicle, the heat exchanger comprising: an insulated container in communication with a cooling circuit of the vehicle, the container including a face wall on each end thereof, a heat storage unit filled with a phase-change material (PCM), and a pair of connection sockets configured for connection with the cooling circuit of the vehicle, wherein the heat storage unit further comprises: a system of adjacently arranged aluminium extruded profiles, each of the profiles configured to be anchored to the face walls of the container, wherein the profiles include at least one fin.
 13. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the container is provided with insulation.
 14. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein the insulation is provided in the form of a vacuum.
 15. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the profiles have opposing ends, the ends including end caps to facilitate filling the container with the phase-change material.
 16. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the container has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.
 17. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the container has a circular cross-sectional shape.
 18. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein gaps are formed between the profiles.
 19. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the phase change material is sodium bicarbonate phosphate. 